Buckle.



PATENTED FEB-'26, 1907. 0. C. DALLY.

BUCKLE. APPLIOATION FILED J ULY 11, 1906.

A TTORNEVS 0% INVENTOR- B) #52 o m W PATENT OFFIQE.

OTTO O. DALLY, OF DOGTOOTH, NORTH DAKOTA.

- BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed July 11,1906. Serial No- 325,692.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO O. DALLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dogtooth, in the county of Morton and State of North Dakota, have invented a new and useful Buckle, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to harness-buckles, and has for one of its objects to produce a simplyconstructed device of this class whereby a strap may be engaged intermediate its ends and adjusted relative to the buckle to any required extent and without removing the strap from the buckle.

With this and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which corre-- spending parts are denoted by like designating characters, is illustrated the preferred form of the embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan view, of one form of the improved buckle applied. Fig. 3 is a front view, and Fig. 4 is a plan view, of another-form of the improved buckle applied. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the rein portions of a double harness,- illustrating one means of utilizing the improved buckle. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of the swinging tongue portion of the device. Fig. 8 is a plan view, enlarged, illus trating another modified construction of a portion of the device.

- The improved buckle may be employed wherever it is required to adjust two straps relative to each other or to adjust a single strap to alter the position of the buckle thereon or employed for coupling a strap to a ring, snap, or other portion of a harness, but is designed more particularly for use in connecti on with the reins of double or team harnesses, whereby the draft-animals may be changed from right to left or from left to 1 right without disconnecting the reins or other portions of the harness.

The improved buckle consists of a frame formed with spaced sides 10 11, connected at one side by spaced transverse bars 12 13 and j at the other side by a transverse bar 14, the latter having a projection 15 narrower than j the width of the frame and provided with a j central recess 16. A tongue 17 is arranged l to swing at 18 between the sides 10 11 and 5 extends toward the bar 14 and its projection 15 and is provided with an inwardly-extending stud 19. Pivoted at 20 upon the tongue 17 is a resilient catch member 21, adapted to be passed by its free end beneath the projection 15 of the bar 14 and engaged with the recess 16. stant inward pressure upon the tongue 17 as long as said member is in engagement with the projection 15.

In its simple form the buckle-frame is adapted to receive the two parts of a strap 22, folded upon itself with the stud 19 of the tongue 17 entering one of a series of spaced holes in the strap and the loop or bend of the strap adapted to be engaged with the eye or loop 24 of a snap 25 or like part of the harness, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2.

When employed for connecting the parts of the reins in a double or team harness, as represented in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, the main or drivers portion of the reins is in one piece, as at 26, or in two parts connected by an ordinary buckle, as at 27, and connected at the ends by loops 28 to a transverse bolt 29, extending through the sides 10 11 of the frame in advance of the bars 13 14. The outside rein of the off horse and the inside rein of the nigh horse are in one piece, as at 30, and folded upon itself and passed through one of the buckle-frames and around the bolt 29, and the outside rein of the nigh horse and the inside rein of the off horse are likewise in one piece, as at 32, and similarly connected to the other buckle. Then by releasing the swinging tongues 17 the straps may be drawn through the frames and around the bolts 29 to any required extent to adjust their lengths.

When it is required to reverse the positions of the horses or to place the nigh horse in the position occupied by the off horse, or vice versa, it is only necessary to unhitch them from the doubletrees, drive one horse around upon the opposite side of the other horse and without disconnecting the reins at any point,

This member 21 exerts a conand then simply adjust the reins as to their lengths, as above explained, to adapt them to their new positions.

Another advantage of the adjustable buckles is to provide a simple means whereby the reins may be readily adjusted to permit the horses to be hitched nearer together or farther apart, as required, which is some times desirable.

What is claimed is 1. In a buckle, a frame having spaced sides and transverse bars spaced apart and connecting said sides, one of said bars having a recess, a tongue swinging between said sides and provided with a stud for engaging a strap extending through said frame, and a resilient catch swinging upon and normally exerting an inward pressure against said tongue and adapted to be yieldably engaged with the recess in said transverse bar.

2. In a buckle, a frame having spaced sides and with intermediate bars spaced apart and connecting said sides, a bolt connecting said sides at one end, a tongue swinging between said sides at the other end and provided with a stud, and a resilient member swinging from said tongue and adapted to be yieldably engaged with one of said bars when in closed position, whereby a strap may be folded upon itself and disposed around said bolt with the two parts of the strap extending through said frame and between said bars and adjustably supported in position by said tongue. 3. The combination of a buckle comprising tween said sides at the other end and provided with an inwardly-extending stud and a resilient member adapted to be engaged with one of said bars when the tongue is in closed position, and a strap folded upon itself and passed around said bolt and through said frame and adjustably supported therein by said tongue and its stud.

4. In a buckle the combination with a frame; of a tongue pivotally mounted therein and having a strap-engaging projection, and a spring-catch pivotally mounted upon one face of the tongue and adapted to engage the frame to yieldingly hold the tongue with.- in the frame.

5. In a buckle the combination with a frame; of a strap-engaging device pivotally mounted within the frame, and a springcatch pivotally mounted upon said device for detachably engaging the frame to exert a constant inward pressure upon said device, said catch being movable in a plane at right angles to the plane of movement of the pivoted device.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OTTO C. DALLY. Witnesses:

O. L. HoYT, H. J. TANIS. 

